Chapter Fourteen: American Gods

Neil Gaiman's American Gods is a book I've been meaning to read for months, ever since Gaiman came to Bard and did a reading of a short piece he was still working on.  Many of my fellow reading-attendees were shocked and dismayed to hear that I hadn't read American Gods, so I dedicate this post to them (they know who they are, unless they've forgotten...).  I am definitely glad that I finally got around to reading this book, although (unlike other Gaiman books I've read) I can't see myself reading it again, at least not any time in the near future. It was a really interesting read, and it definitely kept my attention--I liked the main character and the supporting characters, the mythology was interesting, and the U.S. geography was fun--but on the whole this novel was a little too dark and intense, and Gaiman's characteristic humor was a little too sparse, to become one of my absolute favorites. Still, I would certainly recommend reading American Gods, especially if you're a fan of mystery or suspense. (Although there are elements of fantasy or sci-fi, it felt more like magical realism to me, and I wouldn't recommend it if someone said they were looking for a good fantasy or sci-fi read.)